Amyl: ‘Feminism is at the forefront of our music’

Amyl and the Sniffers’ frontwoman Amy Taylor sat down for the ILMC Futures Forum keynote on Friday, recounting how the Australian punk group skyrocketed to global acclaim.

Taylor dug into the cost of touring, keeping audiences safe, and the importance of artist involvement with BBC Introducing’s Abbie McCarthy to close out the final day at the 37th edition of the International Live Music Conference (ILMC), held last week at London’s Royal Lancaster.

Formed in a Melbourne share house in 2016, Taylor, Dec Martens (guitar), Gus Romer (bass) and Bryce Wilson (drums) have taken stages across the world by storm over their near-decade of existence. The BRIT-nominated group – who are represented by agent Alex Bruford and Will Church of ATC Live in Europe/Asia/LatAm – released their third album Cartoon Darkness to critical acclaim last October and will embark on a whirlwind world tour this year in support.

“As an Australian band, we’ve always toured really hard overseas,” Taylor said. “When we first started, we would usually come on tour for like four months at a time, because we were doing the Northern Hemisphere.

“We’d fly over to the UK, do all the UK and Europe, then fly to America and do all of that, because we couldn’t really afford to fly back in between, and we were still not making any money. So there was a lot of sacrifice.”

“The actual music side isn’t an income thing anymore. Playing live is the only income”

Despite churning out music and performing for years, Taylor said the group didn’t turn a profit until after the pandemic. She cited the steep cost of international touring, specifically visa expenses, and how evolving recorded and live music landscapes are hindering artists.

“Nobody’s making money off of physical merch, because of recession and because everyone’s streaming, so the actual music side isn’t an income thing anymore,” she said. “Playing live is the only income. But nobody’s going out to shows because it’s like a changed social environment, like post-Covid. A lot of people don’t really feel comfortable in those spaces, like going to shows is just not a priority when you’re trying to pay the bills, and it’s just one piece of a whole puzzle.”

Amyl and the Sniffers are renowned for their explosive live shows, delivering rough and rowdy shows to hungry fans across the globe. Though anger is a driving emotion behind these gigs, Taylor has prioritised safety for audiences.

“Feminism is at the forefront of our music, and unfortunately in live music spaces, including our own, there’s still so much sexism,” she said.

The group has taken extra measures to try and keep fans safe, including signage across venues calling out racism, sexism, and classism, alongside additional security briefings and on-stage discussion to help stamp out issues at the shows.

“I’d rather go to the conservative places and upset them than fail to make a bit of noise”

“Even with all the things we put in place, it actually still exists. Music is like a microcosm of society and the culture that we live in. It’s a reflection of the society and the culture that we’re living where misogyny can go unchecked and it can bleed into everything.

“I’m really hands-on on the business side of things, not just performance. This year, we’ve got around 90 shows and saying, minimum, there are 1,000 people at that show, that’s at least 90,000 people this year that we have to make sure are safe,” she added.

With an extensive touring record — including support slots for Foo Fighters, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer — taking them to venues and festivals around the world, Taylor said the band doesn’t shy away from playing more conservative markets.

“It’s good to talk to those people because, really, they’d be more isolated in those areas,” she said. “To say you had a really religious upbringing, and you couldn’t be a queer person, it’s probably nice to see us freaking out on stage or something like that.

“I’d rather go to the conservative places and upset them than fail to make a bit of noise. That’s what it’s all about.”

On stage, Taylor is also known for her bold and scantily clad wardrobe, something she says she finds empowerment in.

“If I can help it, I won’t let that be dragged through the mud because of ignorance”

“In a lot of my life, I actually don’t feel empowered and I don’t feel liberated, and I feel really trapped and suffocated. Wearing tiny clothes is a way that I feel really strong, and I feel really free. For me, wearing that on stage and being extremely feminine at some points is a way for me to just reclaim that, and show that femininity isn’t weakness.”

A powerhouse on and off the stage, Taylor also highlighted the importance of artists being involved in the business side of things.

“It’s impossible to be across everything, and we have a great team of people that we work with,” she added. “I’m just trying to keep my eyes on as much as I can — I think that’s really important for artists.

“It’s my life and it’s my face… That’s my reputation. And if I can help it, I won’t let that be dragged through the mud because of ignorance.”

Nonetheless, she spoke highly about her management, Simone Ubaldi and Andrew Parisi of Sundowner Artists, and touring teams. Amyl and the Sniffers are also repped on the live scene by Arrival Artists (NA) and Supersonic (AUS/NZ).

“I choose to do something different, and they don’t have to come along with me”

“They always have our best interest at the forefront,” she said. “We’re not like cash cows to anybody, even though we did produce milk.

“We’re actually people to them. We have a voice to all of them, and they do want to hear our inputs and our thoughts, and they’ll rationalise with us, rather than infantilise us.”

With a massive year on the cards — including supporting The Offspring across South America, festival plays like Coachella and Hurricane/Southside, and a headlining trek culminating at London’s 10,250-capacity Alexandra Palace — Amyl and the Sniffers are undoubtedly on an unstoppable trajectory.

Despite their beginnings as a pub-rock band touring small Australian venues, Taylor concluded that the band’s expression and message have since evolved well beyond a more static punk scene.

“It’s a spirit that we embody, full stop, and nobody can take that away, because it’s something that’s within us. It’s like a rebellion and freedom, rather than like something to be gatekept,” she said.

“If they want to stay stuck inside those cages, they can, but I choose to do something different, and they don’t have to come along with me.”

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